


Love Drought

by ShadowFromAbove



Category: My Little Pony, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Anger, Blood, Changelings, Fanart, Fear, Gen, Inspired by Fanart, Lopoddity, Pandoraverse, not my characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 09:50:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14133558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowFromAbove/pseuds/ShadowFromAbove
Summary: Iridescence is a Changeling Princess who desperately needs the approval of her people in order to be a good ruler. One night, after many weeks of studying, she learns a little more about herself than she wanted to, but unfortunately this means trouble for her cousin, Princess Artemis.





	Love Drought

**Author's Note:**

> It's Lopoddity's birthday and she wanted FanFics so I couldn't help but write a little something for one of my fave character's of hers, Princess Iridescence. We don't know a whole lot about this NextGen character, but her design is astounding and what little we do know, I love and want more. 
> 
> So! I wanted to take this drawing: https://lopoddity.deviantart.com/art/Love-Starved-644260134 and flush out the story behind the incident a little more. Lop, if you read this, I hope you have a fabulous birthday, and I am always so excited for more content out of the amazing Pandoraverse. 
> 
> Truthfully I had a hard time picking what character I wanted to Fic about, but ultimately it came down to who I felt I could write about and not royally f*** up your character (so not majority of the cast cause omg they are just so good I cannot compare to you). Thank you so so much for your beautiful art work and incredible stories of each character, and I hope you have a fabulous day and year of being 1 year older!! 
> 
> (Omg what am I even saying this is a mess I am sorry)

The thirty fourth or so night had crept up on Princess Iridescence. She would not have noticed the nightfall if it were not for the blinding migraine that overtook her, causing her to stare into the night sky and away from her notes. 

This pain seemed to happen more frequently, as the Princess has locked herself away in her bedroom for the past weeks, studying wildly for her upcoming coronation. It was a very serious ordeal, considering her one mother is the Goddess of the Sun and her other is the Queen of the Changelings. Iridescence had to make sure her coronation went as perfectly as planned, or else her future kingdom may not regard her as a rightful ruler. 

Slowly, the blinding pain in her head passed, and she could levitate her quill once more to continue her scrolls. 

To maximize the efficiency in which Iridescence studied, she had ordered her royal guards to not let any pony or otherwise enter her chambers. She must remain alone, no matter what. Food can be dropped off on a platter, but the servant must be vacant as soon as the dish touches the floor. 

The first week of solitude was rough on the young Princess. She was not used to being entirely alone. Eventually though, she came to enjoy the peace and quiet. She may be the daughter of the Sun, but that doesn’t mean she must constantly be “sunny”. 

Slowly, however, Iridescence started to lose track of the days that she was companionless. The food that was being brought to her no longer seemed appetizing, and she ordered it to stop all together. Upon this request, both Celestia and Chrysalis attempted to talk her out of solitude, but Iridescence was adamant on her studying, and not only refused both mothers entry to her room, but banned them from returning until she was done. 

Days turned to weeks and still Iridescence refused company. She cannot recall when the migraines started, but they had become much more frequent. Iridescence attributes them to her excessive studying, but refuses to pay them any more mind. 

She must study, that is all that matters right now. 

Recently, the Princess has been experiencing short periods of black out. One minute she is at her desk reading over the scroll that details banquet etiquette, the next she awakens in the middle of her floor, head ablaze with pain and her mandibles out. Still, the Princess gives no thought to the strange behaviour. There is just no time. Her coronation is within the coming months and everything _must be flawless_. 

On the thirty fourth night, however, everything is about to change for the young Changeling Princess. 

~

The migraine hits Iridescence like a Wonderbolt, and she is literally blinded by agony. She suppresses a groan and turns to her window for solace. When the pain finally subsides, Irie realizes it is nightfall, again. She has lost track of how many times the sun has risen above and sunk below the horizon. Irie blinks a few times, trying to ebb away the last tendrils of pain. 

“That was the longest one yet,” she thinks, trying to refocus on the endless number of scrolls sprawled on her desk, many open and tumbling to the floor around her. Tucking a flyaway hair behind her ear, she gets herself comfortable once more, and reads on. 

Suddenly, without any warning, the Princess blacks out, head thumping to her desk. 

After a few moments, Iridescence picks her head back up, and stares unseeing at her notes. Her eyes are no longer the beautiful shade of cyan with amethyst irises, but instead are entirely violet. A low chattering is uttered in her throat as she stands up and moves to the door. She opens it, and finds the hallway empty of any ponies or guards. At this hour, every castle attendant is tucked away in their beds for the night. 

The Princess walks down the hall as if in a trance. The low chattering continues as she goes, purple eyes staring at every door, down every hallway, looking and hoping for something. Movement of any kind. Anything. 

Elsewhere in the castle, the heir to the Night sleeps soundly in her bed. Princess Artemis, daughter of Princess Luna, is unaware of the imminent danger she is in. In a slip of the mind, she had forgotten to fully close her chamber door, and had left it open just a crack. Unfortunately for this Princess, it is all Iridescence needs. 

As the Changeling Princess walks through the West Tower, she finally sees what she had been searching for. An open door. 

Quieter than a shadow, Iridescence slips into the Night Princess’ room. At this point, the Changeling’s mandibles are fully exposed, and her dagger sharp teeth are gleaming in the moonlight. The scent of the warm body and the sound of her heartbeat is enough for Iridescence’s mouth to water. Wanting. She is hungry, **so** hungry. 

Artemis sleeps peacefully, but the feeling of another presence in the room is enough to rouse her from her slumber. Bleary-eyed and unsure of what woke her, Artemis blinks to adjust to the darkness. Then she feels it. Artemis knows she is being watched. Immediately she rises from her bed, ready to face her enemy, but it is too late. 

The second her prey is awake, Irie attacks. Launching herself from the shadows, she aims straight for the jugular. With razor sharp mandibles and jagged teeth, she easily slices through the Artemis’ flesh. The taste of blood washes over Iridescence’s tongue and it is heavenly. She has starved for so long. For ages she has ached for food. Real food. 

Artemis tries to fend off her attacker, but to no avail. She feels a burst of pain in her throat and hot liquid runs down her chest. Staring wide eyed and defenceless, she realizes her attacker is none other than her cousin. In a final attempt to free herself, she lets out a hoarse “Help...” as she stares into the purple eyes of Iridescence. For one moment, Artemis thinks she sees them shift back to normal, but slips into unconsciousness before ever she can tell. 

At the sound of a voice, Princess Iridescence regains control of her body and mind. She is staring into the petrified eyes of her cousin Artemis, but then watches them slump closed. Instantly she tastes blood and jumps back in shock and horror. She stares at the scene before her: cousin Artemis in her bed, neck torn open, blood covering both her and the sheets. It looks like a massacre. Artemis is dead. Iridescence throws her hands to her mouth to cover a gasp, but pulls her hands back in pain, for her mandibles are extended and sticky with blood. 

Overwhelmed with everything, Iridescence screams. It is horrific, guttural, blood wrenching, and successfully waking the entire Canterlot Castle. Her mothers come charging into the bedroom, and are aghast at what they see. Princess Luna arrives moments later, and upon seeing her only daughter in a pool of her own blood, she shoots out a magic surge directly into Iridescence, effectively sending her flying through a wall into the room over. 

Chaos ensues. The Royal Nightguard takes away the injured Princess to the medical ward; her wounds are atrocious, but luckily not life threatening. Luna and Celestia engage in a war amongst themselves; the eldest enraged that Luna dare attack her daughter, the younger appalled that Celestia dare defend a murderer. 

Meanwhile, in the next room over, Chrysalis tends to her poor daughter Irie, who cannot stop sobbing. 

“I-I-I d-didn’t mean-n it! I d-don’t even know-w wha-at happened-d,” Irie says, hiccupping as she cries, “I’d n-never m-meant t-to hurt Art-temis…” 

Chrysalis curls up beside her child, cooing softly, “I know, sweet daughter. I know.” 

Iridescence cries harder as she continues to realize what she has done, and the damage it has caused. 

“W-w-why?? Why d-did I-I do-o it?!” 

She looks to her mother, confused and hurt and upset. She doesn’t even realize that her mandibles are still out. 

“You, my Princess, are a Changeling. And not only that, but you are a Queen Changeling,” Chrysalis begins, “and as one, there are certain, let’s say…biological processes, that we possess that regular ponies do not. One large one is the need to feed, specifically on love.” 

Irie nods, tears still stream her cheeks, but the sobbing has stopped and is replaced with short but rapid inhalations of breath. 

“As you know, the ponies and the Changelings have a new peace, and we are able to obtain the love we so desperately need in almost all places.” Chrysalis continues, “But, when we don’t get this love, our bodies will find other ways get it, no matter the cost.” 

“And because you, my beautiful daughter, have locked yourself away for the past month, your body has not had the resources of love that it needs. This…” she gestures through the hole in the wall where Luna and Celestia are still fighting. Artemis is gone, but the bloodstained bedsheets remain. “this is what can happen when you isolate your body from love.” 

Iridescence begins to sob again, full body wracking ones that leave her gasping for air. She tries to cover her face, but instantly cries harder when she touches the blood covered weapons that are jutting from her mouth. 

Chrysalis snuggles closer to her child, heart aching for her dear Irie, but also very disappointed in herself for not seeing the signs. She lets her child weep, knowing how terrifying it was the first time she experienced a love drought. 

After some time, Irie regains her voice. “B-but if we feed off of-f love, w-why’d I…I…” She trails off, unable to finish her sentence as she stares into the bedroom of her cousin. Iridescence breaks down again as she relives the moment of staring into the terrified eyes of Artemis right before she lost consciousness. 

“Shhhh, child,” Chrysalis croons. “When your body is in its starved state, love is no longer enough to satiate you. Changelings eat love because it is the most filling. We also eat sadness, happiness, fear, hate. Very rarely, we will go straight to the source, and eat the flesh from which these feeling come from.” 

Irie’s eyes go wide with horror, and she sucks in a terrified gulp of air. This results in more hiccups and gasps of air intermixed with her cries. 

“Truthfully, taking emotion straight from the source is the purest way to obtain it, which is why when we are so hungry, it is what we resort to. But it is also the most extreme method, so as a species we found the next best thing; love. I promise you daughter, with all my heart, that it is tremendously rare for a Changeling to need to submit to these instincts.” 

“…I’m a monster…” Irie says quietly, staring down at her hooves, sniffling. 

“No, no you are not, my love. You are a Queen. You are loved and adored by all. But especially, and most importantly, by myself and your mother.” 

Irie looks up at Chrysalis, tears in her eyes. “Are you sure you love me after what I did?” 

Chrysalis can’t help but let out a laugh, only to instantly hold her daughter in a long and tight hug. “I will love you no matter what, child. No matter what.” 

Held in her mother’s embrace, Iridescence begins to feel just the slightest bit better. Her mandibles retreat to their resting spot in her mouth, and slowly her breathing returns to normal. Soon, Celestia enters the room, looking shaken and unnerved, but mostly worried for her daughter. 

“Irie, my sun, my darling, what happened?!” Celestia says, trying and failing not to show the shock on her face and in her voice. 

With a glance to Chrysalis, she looks back to her distressed Alicorn mother, “I’m really…not myself when I’m hungry. Ha ha…”


End file.
